Mining Giant Withdraws Support After 12 Years
Australia's wealthiest individual, Gina Rinehart, has terminated her company's substantial financial backing of Volleyball Australia, ending a partnership that spanned more than a decade. Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart's mining enterprise, confirmed it would not renew its sponsorship agreement with the sporting body, leaving volleyball facing a significant financial shortfall.
Timing Raises Eyebrows Before Major Event
The decision comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the sport, with Adelaide preparing to host the prestigious World Beach Volleyball Championships starting 14 November. Despite this setback, Volleyball Australia expressed profound gratitude for Hancock Prospecting's support, estimated at approximately $5 million over the past twelve years.
A spokesperson for Volleyball Australia acknowledged the sponsorship conclusion, confirming the agreement had ended last year and was not extended. The funding had been instrumental in covering operational expenses, organising tournaments, and even subsidising television coverage of the sport.
Pattern Emerges in Sporting Sponsorships
This isn't the first time Hancock Prospecting has withdrawn support from a national sporting organisation. The company previously ended its partnership with Swimming Australia in 2021 following disagreements, and dramatically pulled out of a $15 million annual sponsorship with Netball Australia in 2022 after players raised concerns about the company's record on Indigenous issues.
However, a Hancock Prospecting representative emphasised that the volleyball decision doesn't signal a broader retreat from supporting Australian athletes. The company maintains substantial funding programmes for swimming and rowing, with payments to swimmers alone exceeding $4 million annually.
For many elite Australian athletes, Hancock Prospecting's grants constitute the majority of their income, with medal winners receiving bonuses worth tens of thousands of dollars. The company's ongoing commitments include partnerships with Swimming WA, Swimming Queensland, and the Australian Olympic Committee.
Volleyball Australia now moves forward with two principal partners: Indian automotive manufacturer Mahindra and student accommodation provider Scape Australia, whose founder Craig Carracher serves as VA president and sits on the Australian Olympic Committee board.
